Vault doorsill construction



Nov. 26, 1957 Filed sept. fr. 1956 s. PmoMENlco VAULT DOORSILL CONSTRUCTION 3 SheetsJ-Sheerl 1 TTORWYS Nov. 26, 1957 s, P, DOMENiQQ 2,814,262

' vAuLT DooRsILL coNsTRucTxoN Filed Sept. 7. 1955 l f T go if J@ 4 52425 N /w \56\"5 53 f l /55 l" wl UI Ii }1\\ /rr I I( N 2 f 1" W {mi} j V"Inmmf 1 in mi 4 .5,9 [57 I my@ 53 I @www 9' www@ VAULT DOORSILL CONSTRUCTION Stephen P. Domenico, Canton, Ohio, assignor to Diebold, Incorporated, Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 7, 1956, Serial No. 608,616

4 Claims. (Cl. 10S-87) This invention relates to vault doors and the like and more particularly it pertains to sill construction therefor.

Most doors for safes and vaults are ordinarily provided with anges forming a stepped surface around the periphery of the door. Likewise, corresponding flanges are provided on the door frames to form burglar-proof joints between the door frame and the door. Such llanges provide obstructions or an uneven or stepped surface over which one walks during ingress and egress to and from the vault. For this reason the flanges are objectionable. Moreover, a doorsill becomes abused and unsightly when it is walked over frequently.

Various devices have been proposed for overcoming these problems. One device includes an inclined ramp placed over the llanged doorsill when the door is open. Such ramp usually extends from a slightly lower lloor level outside of the vault to a higher floor level within the vault in order to clear the llanges. This arrangement is undesirable to the extent that walking over an inclined surface is less convenient than walking over a level surface.

Other devices have provided a lowering platform or false floor with a ange formation located outside of the vault, which false lloor is lowered to swing the vault door open and closed. Such platforms are objectionable because they consume considerable floor area and involve bulky operating mechanisms including counterweights, levers and the like for raising and lowering the platform.

Other prior devices include movable doorsills having tongues and grooves interftting with complementing tongues and grooves in the door. Such movable doorsills are subject to the objection that they usually include counterweights, levers and the like to manipulate the sill in and out of place when the door is opened and closed.

In addition to the movable doorsills most vault door frames include a permanent sill section having tongues and grooves that interlit with complementary tongues and grooves in the movable sill. The primary disadvantage of such construction is the extensive mill work necessary to provide the tongues and grooves in the movable sill, the door and the permanent sill. Another disadvantage is the weight of the movable sill due to the bulky structure necessary to 4reinforce the tongue and groove structure. This in turn calls for greater space, such as a comparatively deep pit, in which to manipulate the movable sill into and out of engagement with the door and permanent sill. Finally, there is the added disadvantage of providing a separate footbridge across the tongues and grooves in the permanent sill section and the adjacent pit.

These diculties and objections inherent in the prior devices are overcome by the device of the present invention. It provides a movable doorsill which is pivotally mounted for easy manipulation and which lacks bulky counterweights, etc. One side of the improved sill includes a flange for engaging a complementary flange on Lthe door when the door is closed. The other side of the tent 2,814,262 Patented Nov. 26, 1957 sill has a flat surface which is used when the vault door outside of the vault.

It is another object of this invention to provide a horizontal flat walkway between the inside and outside floors of a vault.

It is another object of this invention to provide level inside and outside floors for a vault without using a lowering platform on the outside of the vault.

It is another object of this invention to provide a doorsill construction for a vault door having a flanged surface to engage a similar flanged formation on the door when closed and having a at surface for a walkway at the door frame between inside and outside floor surfaces.

It is another object of this invention to provide a movable doorsill having a llanged surface which may be moved to a protected position when the vault door is open to protect the llanged sill surface from abuse.

Finally, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved sill construction for a vault door which incorporates the foregoing desiderata in an inexpensive manner and with simplified maintenance and operation.

These and other objects and advantages apparent to those skilled in the art from the following descriptionand claims may be obtained, the stated results achieved and described diliculties overcome by the discoveries, principles, apparatus, parts, combinations, subcombinations and elements which comprise the present invention, the nature of which is set forth in the following statement, preferred embodiments of Which, illustrative of the best modes in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles, are set forth in the following description, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming part hereof.

The vault doorsill construction of the present invention may be stated generally as including in a vault, a door having flanged edge surfaces, a door frame having a corresponding flange formation, a door frame having a permanent sill section with a llat surface level with the inner and outer oor surfaces of the vault, the door frame also having a movable sill section provided with a flanged surface corresponding to the flanged edge surface on the door, the movable sill section also having a flat surface opposite the flanged surface, the movable sill section being hinged to the permanent sill section along one edge thereof for movement from a closed position of engagement with the door and the permanent sill section when the door is closed to a walkway position, the flat surface of the movable sill section thereby providing with the flat surface of the permanent sill section a continuous level walkway between the inside and outside floors of the vault.

By way of example, the improved sill construction for vault doors is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the vestibule of a vault with the vault door open showing a movable doorsill section removed;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view ythrough the lower portion of a vault door and door frame, showing the door frame segment or doorsill in place and providing stepped joints With the door;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view taken through the vault vestibule with the door open showing the sill in the open position;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the vault vestibule taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal, sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of another embodiment of the vault doorsill; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of Fig. 6, with part of the gear housing broken away.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various views of the drawings.

In Fig. 1 a vault door frame of substantially rectangular configuration is generallyl indicated at 1. The door frame 1 is mounted in a wall 2; and has inner surface 3 and an outer surface 4 as shown more particularly in Fig. 5. A rectangular vestibule 5 is provided adjacent the inner surface 3 of the frame which is generally enclosedy by opposite walls 6 and 7 (Fig. 5) as well as partition walls 8 and 9 respectively. A vaultdoor 10 is mountedzon top and bottom hinges 11 and 12 inthe outer surface 4.ofy the frame 1.

The vault door frarne 1 has a flangededge surfacegenerally indicated at 13,thaty includes` a` shoulder 14 facing the exterior of the vault frame and formed by a frame portion 15 and a ange 16. The frame portion 15 is inclinedinwardly between the outer surface 4 and the shoulder 14, The flange 16 is also inclinedL inwardly be-tween the shoulder 14-and the inner surface 3. Likewise, the door -has a flanged edge generally indicated at 17 which includes a shoulder 18 between a door portion 19- and a flange 20. The size and shape ofthe shoulder 18, the door portion 19, and the flange 26 correspond to and complement those of the shoulder4 14, the frame portion 15, and; they door iiange-16. When the door is closedLthose parts abut each other.

The door 10 includes a plurality of locking bolts 21 which extend outwardly for locking engagement with a bolt plate 22 adjacent the inner surface3 of the wall 2.

The lower portion of the frame 1 includes an integral permanent sill segment 23 and a movable doorsill segment 24. The segments 23 and 24 have flat surfaces 25 and 26, respectively, which abut each other when the door 10 is closed (Fig. 2) and which provide a flat walkaway across the threshold of the vault when the door is open (Fig. 3). When the at surfaces 25 and 26 are in abutment` for the closed door position (Fig. 2), the permanent sill segment 23 and the movable doorsill 24 provide a sill unit across the bottom of the door. Moreover, when the movable doorsill 24 is in the closed door position, it is. mounted in an opening 27 extending between opposite end walls 28 and 28a at the lower ends of the vertical portions of the door frame 1. In addition, the surface of -the movable door sill 24 opposite the fiat surface 26 has a ange formation similar to those of the door frame 1 and the door 10 and includes a shoulder 29 adjacent a flange 29a, which shoulder is turned outwardly when the doorsill 24 is in the closed door position as shown in Fig. 2. Finally, the at surfaces 25 and 26 of the sill segments 23 and 24 are provided with tread plates 30 and 31, respectively, which are permanently fixed in place for alignment with each other as shown in Fig. 3 when the doorsill 24 is in the walkaway position. The tread plates 30 and 31 form the top flat surfaces of the sill segments 23 and 24 when the sill segment 24 is in the walkaway position.

As shown more particularly in Figs. 4 and 5, a p air of pintle hinges 32 and 33 are attached by bolts 34 on the inner side of the doorsill 24. The hinges 32 and 33 include stud shafts or pintles 35 and 36, respectively, which extend in opposite directions. The shaft 35 is mouned in a pair ofsimilar spaced journals 37 and 38 and the shaft 36 is seated in a journal39. The journals 37, 38 and 39 are secured to the lower end of the bolt plates 4 22 or the permanent sill section 23 by similar bolts 40. The axis -of the pintles 35 and 36 is located in the plane and at the edge of the ilat top surfaces of the sill segments 23 and 24 so that the tread plates 30 and 31 provide an uninterrupted and continuous walking surface as shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in Fig. 5, a worm gear 41 is mounted on the stud shaft 35 between the journals 37 and 38. The worm gear 41 engages a worm 42 (Fig. 4) which is mounted on an elongated shaft 43 extending vertically between a journal 44 at its lower end and a journal 45 near its upper end, the journal 45 being secured to the bolt plate 22. At the upper end of the shaft 43 is a bevel gear 46 which engages a bevel gear 47 (Fig. 2) mounted on the end of a horizontal shaft 48 extending across the vestibule and through the partition wall 8 where it is journaled. The other end of the shaft 48 is provided with a handwheel 49.

The foregoing construction, including the handwheel 49, the shafts 43 and 48 and other interconnecting parts, provides a means by which the movable doorsill 24. may be moved between the closed door position (Fig. 2) and the walltaway position (Fig. 3). Thus the sill 24 is rotated mechanically about a line extending -through the axes of the stud shafts 35 and 36 of the pintle hinges 32 and 33. In the closed door position (Fig. 2) the sill 24 is positioned for abutment with the lower end of the door 16 when the door is closed, thereby providing a burglar-proof joint across the lower end of the door 10.

In the walkaway position, as shown in Fig. 3, the doorsill 24 extends vertically into a pit 50 between the inner surface 3 of the door frame 1 and a lower edge 51 of the partition walls forming the vestibule 5. A block 52 is provided in the pit 50 on which the outer edge of the doorsill 24 rests when the sill is in the walkaway position. Accordingly, when the sill 24.is in the walkaway position, it is entirely below the plane extending between a floor 53 outside the vault and a floor 54 inside the vault and presents the tread plate 30 in contiguous alignment with the tread plate 31 as well as thel doors 53 and 54. Thus a level walkaway is provided between the inner and outer oors 53 and 54.

`In Figs. 6 and 7 another embodiment of the invention is shown. It provides a -movable doorsill 55 having a configuration similar to that of the doorsill 24, but differing therefrom in that the doorsill 55 opens outwardly of the door frame rather than inwardly as shown in Fig. 3. A pit 56 is provided in the outer floor 53 adjacent the lower front end Vof the framel 1. As shown in Fig. 6, the front side of the sill 55 is provided with a pair of stud shafts or pintles 57 and 58 extending in opposite directions and journaled in suitable journals 59 and 60, respectively, secured to the lower permanent doorsill segment 23. Like the pintles 3S and 36, the axis of the -pintles 57 and 58 is located in the plane of the top surface `of the sill segment 23.

`In addition, the journal 60 for the shaft 58 includes an integral gear housing 61 which encloses a worm gear 62 mounted on the shaft 53. A worm 63 lengages the worm gear 62 and is mounted on a stud shaft 64, the opposite ends of which are suitably journ-aled in the housing 61. The upper end 64a of the shaft 64 has a square cross section and is adapted to receive a socket member 65 of similar cross section. The member 65 is secured to the lower end of a removable shaft 66 by which the worm gear mechanism may be turned to rotate the doorsill 55 between the closed door position, as shown in solid lines in Figs. 6 and 7, and the walkway position, as shown by dot-dash lines 67 within the pit 56.

The doorsill Aconstruction for vaults -of the present invention is an improvement over the prior art in that a continuous level walkway between the inside and outside floors of the vault is provided without the necessity of using a lowering platform for opening Iand closing the vault door. By providing a movable "doorsillfhaving one side w-ith flanged surfaces and another side level, the doorsill -is protected 'against abuse occasioned -by being walked over during ingress and egress from the vault. Rather, another level surface on the sill -is provided for walking purposes.

Finally, the doorsill construction is lrelatively small in size and is easily rotated between the open door and walkway positions in ya minimum of space by the provision of :pintle hinges along one edge thereof. The doorsill, when moved between Vthe two positions, moves upwardly into available space and occupies in the open door position a relatively small space below the Walking surface.

in the foregoing description `certain terms lhave been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requiremen-ts of the prior art, 'because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown.

Having now described the features, constructions and principles of the invention, the characteristics of the new vault d-oors-ill construction, and the advantageous, new and useful results provided; the new and useful discoveries, principles, parts, elements, combinations, subcombinations, structures and arrangements, and mechanical equivalents obvious to those skilled in the art .are set forth in the `appended claims.

-I claim:

1. In vault `door and ydoor 'frame construction 'for a vault having inside and outside floors at the same level, a Avault door having `a lower flanged edge surface, a door frame having a sill member provided with a liat upper surface located in the plane of the inside yand outside vault floor 'surfaces and in contiguous continuation of one of said floor surfaces, the lower flanged edge surface of the door when closed being spaced .above said iiat upper sill surface, a sill segment for the door frame movable between closed Iand walkway positions, the upper surface of the sill segment when in :closed position being provided with Va ange formation complementary to the lower door frame ange formation and engaged 'therewith when the door is closed, the sill segment also having a lower flat surface engaged with and supported on the at upper sill member `surface when in closed position, hinge means between the sill member @and segment at one edge of the sill member, the sill segment being movable on said hinge means when the door is open from said closed position to walkway position, the ysill segment when in walkway position having its ila-t surface located in contiguous continuation of the at sill member surface and the other -oor surface, whereby fa flat level uninterrupted walkway may lbe provided through .the door fra-me when the vault door is open.

2. The construction defined in claim 1 in which means is provided -for moving the sill segment on its hinge means between closed and walkway positions.

3. The construction defined in claim l -in which the axis of the hinge means lies in the plane of the at sill member surface.

4. The construction defined in claim 1 in which pit means is formed in one of the lioors adjacent the sill member, and in which the movable sill segment is received in said pit means when moved to walkway position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 440,914 Clark Nov. 18, 1890 

